


Returning home

by Jeneral2885



Category: Ally McBeal (TV)
Genre: Cage&Fish, F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25552159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeneral2885/pseuds/Jeneral2885
Summary: It is 2020. Ally returns to Boston from New York and finds her old firm in a mess. Can she help Richard fix it?
Relationships: John Cage/Ally McBeal
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

_My first Ally McBeal Fanfiction. Please be nice with my errors._

_Not a Larry/Ally or Lally fan. I know I will disappoint many._

**New York City**

**New York**

**2020**

**4 am**

"Ally, Ally, Ally," the voice called. Ally woke up with a shock. Who...? She saw the ghost of...no it can't be! But it was the ghost of her true love, Billy Thomas, with his original dark hair, not the bleached one before he passed away.

"Ally," the ghost moved closer towards her bed and sat down by her side. "I know it's been long, but you have to return."

"Return? Where?"

"You know where Ally."

"Back home? Where we first met?" Ally finally sat up.

"No back home to the firm." Before Ally could talk further, the ghost disappeared.

"Mom, you talking to yourself again?" Maddie Harrington entered her mother's room.

"Honey, you're supposed to be at sleep."

"I'm not a kid anymore, Mom. I was up writing my graduate essay." Maddie was taking a graduate degree in English which her BS was in. "You were talking to Billy?"

"Go back to bed, honey. I'll make breakfast for you in the morning." Ally found it weird that Billy appeared to her suddenly after so long and Maddie suddenly calling her 'Mom'.

**7am**

"You make the best waffles, Mom," Maddie commented, taking another bite of the Maple Syrup-soaked waffle.

"Mom? Ally?" Maddie called, watching her mother stare out into the window.

"I'm heading back to Boston," Ally finally said something.

"What, why? The virus is still around. You have a job here."

"Yeah, well I've been working from home," Ally corrected. "No, I'd taking a leave to return to Boston. You stay here of course. Take care, clean up..."

"So, I can see George? I mean, online." George was Maddie's British-American boyfriend studying for a JD here and helping Maddie run the charity for the poor throughout New York State.

"Well, I know you can behave yourself. WhatsApp or call me," She kissed her daughter on the forehead, headed up to collect her suitcase, and the left.

It was slightly past noon when Ally, wearing a mask, arrived in Boston. With the majority of hotels and Air BnBs closed, Ally was lucky to find a small, clean Bed & Breakfast. Coincidentally, it was near her old firm, Cage, Fish & Associates. As the elevator doors open, some secretary with a mask measured Ally's forehead temperature.

"Is Elaine around?" She asked.

"She was until a few years ago," came the reply. Elaine left?! Ally screamed in her mind. The next scream was the sign. It used to read 'Cage & Fish', or 'Cage, Fish & McBeal' or 'Cage, Fish & Associates.' Now it just read 'Fish & Associates.'

"Richard? John?" She called out, noticing the office had drastically changed.

"John Cage left this law firm two years ago," the secretary explained. "Wait, you can't go in there..." But Ally had already stormed into Richard Fish's office, which was in the same location as it was twenty-three years ago.

"It's fine, you can leave," Richard waved off that secretary. He too was wearing a mask but upon seeing Ally, he lowered his own mas and gestured Ally to lower hers.

"Richard! How are you?" Ally exclaimed in the tone as she met Richard on the street twenty-three years ago.

"Well enough," came the reply, although Ally suspected otherwise.

Ensuring the office door was closed, Ally asked, "What happened to Elaine and John? Why is the office like this?"

"John is still part of this firm, but Senior Partner-at-large. He's doing non-legal work, running a Mexican chain that aids poor people. Elaine took night classes in law and now is with another firm down the road."

"But she's been great administrator, how could you lose her?"

"Her choice, just like John's."

"And where are the others? Nelle? The junior lawyers?"

"Nelle is senior partner now, but didn't want her name etched on the glass. We've got new litigators now, Tom, Jane and Sally. They're all working from home. How's Maddie?"

"She's doing well, has a boyfriend."

"Uh ok, want to take a look around?"

Ally did, noticing the new names that replaces offices that once belong to Billy, Ling and Georgina and the other previous associates. "Can I go to the toilet?" Instead of finding the well-known unisex toilet, Abby found a normal female toilet.

"Richard!" She called from outside the ladies. "What happened to our famous unisex toilet?"

"Oh, there was a meeting years ago that more privacy was needed. You can still hear the conversations from the men's room; the walls are thin." That was certainly true, but not the same as me kicking the door, or remembering the cat-fight between me Georgia, Nelle, Ling which was filmed by Elaine and broken up by the men.

"Richard," She cornered him back in his office. "This isn't the Cage & Fish I know, or I used to know. There none of the vibrancy, the laughter, even though most of the staff aren't around-but I can feel it. There none of the excitement without the unisex bathroom, and without John and Elaine or Nelle around. Do you even have your Fishisms, touching Wattles?"

"I've grown past that. Liza and my children don't think it's a good thing for a husband and father."

"Ok, but seriously, something isn't right here. This isn't Cage & Fish. You have to correct it."

"Or maybe you could."

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: _I know it's very long but I didn't want to spilt it beyond two chapters. Hopefully, Vonda Shepard isn't insulted._

_Thanks, please add reviews._

Ally left the building with the address where Elaine was now working at. That office required stricter checks for COVID-19 but Ally passed them all. She was made to wait for around fifteen minutes before the old very capable legal assistant appeared also wearing a mask. Both ladies refrained from hugging each other. Ally started asking a simple 'how are you' and

Elaine brought her to the office pantry. Over fresh coffee and doughnuts, Ally asked her about what she learnt from Richard.

"Yes, I was taking law night classes and this firm offered me financial aid and a higher starting salary."

"But why did you leave Cage & Fish? Did Richard not offer you the same funding?"

"Err...Ally..." Elaine hesitated then continued, I dated and fell in love with one of the litigators here but it was a short love then he left this place. Under some funny contract, I'm... she paused as someone entered the pantry but that person left quickly..."I'm not allowed to leave any time."

"Aw...that's terrible. But are you still yourself? Like full of gossip, are you also still singing that sort of stuff?"

"Well, this office just wants normal or proper legal assistants. I continued singing but the band at the Cage & Fish building quickly changed. When COVID-19 started, Vonda the vocalist cum pianist left to her home town in LA. So that's it."

Ally gave another 'aw' and with a chit chat, she left. The next person she headed for was John Cage, her almost boyfriend. After a longer wait at the restuarant, John, wearing a mask with the colours of the flag of Mexico. "Hello Amiga!" he greeted.

"John, nice mask. Well, not surprised to find you back here. Richard told me..."

"I'm fine with this lifestyle, this job. I help Mexican immigrants and homeless."

"But the old office is now in a mess. Elaine is in another office, none of the former staff exist..."

"I know all this but I want to stay here really. Elaine made her choice. Richard's at the helm. Even more so, there's Nelle who wanted to senior partner, well you have to talk to her."

Ally finally agreed, exchanged cell phone numbers with John then headed next to the residential address of Nelle Porter. She couldn't find the initials 'N' but remembered Nelle's original name.

"Well, hello, hello," the stark blonde-haired lawyer greeted her old colleague and boss. After pleasantries, Ally the pertinent question, "Richard and well John told me you are senior partner at the office yet you won't have your name printed on the glass or any of the legal papers."

"Ally, that's so nosy, so typical of you. I..."

"Mom, can you reset the Wi-Fi; I need to quickly submit this essay!" Ally saw a young teenager appearing from the steps. Nelle replied, "My adopted daughter Sierra. I was saying, it's quite gaudy to have your surname printed in large view. I've a daughter to care for with like for sitters, get the picture?"

"Right. Are you bitter at any one at Cage & Fish?"

"Nope not sore at anyone. I'm not so sub-zero Nelle anymore. Anything else?"

"Elaine?"

"What you heard about and from her is right."

Ally thanked Nelle but still had some suspicions. As she walked down the road, she heard a familiar song.

_Ba ba, ba ba ba ba,_

_Ba ba ba ba,_

_Ba ba ba ba, ba ba ba,_

_Tracy, when I'm with you, Something you do,_

_Bounces me off the ceiling..._

Oh gosh that was the theme song of Dr. Tracey Clark! Then the busker changed to another familiar song:

_Oh I believe I am ready for what love has to bring_

_Got myself together, now I'm ready to sing_

That was what she first sang at the psychiatrist office! Then a third song came:

_I know something about love..._

_Tell him that you're never gonna leave him_

_Tell him that you're always gonna love him_

Ally dropped a $100 bill as a token of appreciation. "Ally?!" She turned and saw both Georgia and Renée, standing at least six feet apart, obviously wearing face masks. After introducing each other's presence-both lawyers were in separate firms, then they added their version of the Cage & Fish story.

"One of the new female girls hated the unisex toilet. Even Nelle couldn't control her. Thus, the change to separate male and female," Georgia added.

"I tried to get the bar musicians back but failed. Vonda really returned home. Elaine had a fight with the guy she met so gave up inventing and singing and her old self," Renée remarked.

Ally discussed what she knew then returned to her temporary lodging. Suddenly she received a cell phone call from John who started with "I've just talked to Richard and Nelle. I'll stay working as where I am but will still officially work for the office for any cases." He continued to explain Nelle finally agreed with adding her surname to the office and John was fine with that. "I'm so," Ally began to show how elated she was

"Ally, I was considering moving to a Mexican-related law firm in New York City." John mentioned a name that Ally recognised. "Why so sudden?"

"I...I... want to be close to you," John lapsed into his old stuttering and told Ally he hoped Maddie would accept him.

"That's so touching John, but I've been wondering about Elaine, the structure of the firm..."

Ally was told to hold the line and Elaine's voice came on admitting the truth - Renée's facts were right. "And I found a way to leave my firm and will region Cage, Fish & Porter, and singing virtually." Ally squealed. Richard came on and mentioned the unisex toilet would return and Ally squealed three times.

**Epilogue**

"Hey Dad, thanks for recommending that book; it worked well for another of my graduate classes," Maddie thanked John passing back a book.

"No prob kiddo, always here."

"Dad. How does that feel?" Ally asked, poking her new husband.

"Like a nice teddy bear. We should have..." John recalled all the times both he and Ally were so close. Suddenly, both their phones rang,

"Hey," Richard greeted.

"Hey," Nelle greeted

"Hey, hope we aren't distracting anything?" That was Georgia who re-joined the old firm.

"What's up?" Ally asked but was cautious.

"There's a case coming up and one of the clients is a New Yorker..." Richard explained.

"I know it's a weird jurisdiction, but hope you two will help. I'll be come up to NYC if it is clear and Elaine will send over relevant files," Nelle concluded.

The End.


End file.
